The Journey continues
by jadeDino
Summary: It has been a year since the Apocalypse incident. The xkids have moved on and grown up some. A teammate loses her powers, kidnapping, break ups and more chaos as only the x-men can deal with. R&R please. Rating will go up if needed. HIATUS!
1. Ch1 Who We Really Are

**Who we really are-** (Second week of May)

Kurt sat in his room staring at a picture of him, Kitty and Rogue. All three shared a rare moment and it was captured on film; They were smiling. She was the only good family member he had in this country. They may not have shared the same genetics but, she had oddly always treated him like an annoying little brother. He'd seen her smile before but, in this picture she seemed content; happy almost. He thought aloud 'zis looks like a step ford family picture.'

Rogue stood quietly in the hall so he wouldn't notice she was there. She knew what picture he was referring to because she had the same picture in her nightstand. A moment later after she walked away, Kurt turned as if he scened her presence. He smiled as he put the picture in it's place by his bed.

The day went on as they usually did; breakfast at 7, get to school before 8:20, and get out at 3:30. Walking home he heard someone walking at a fast pace behind him. He sped up his pace but, whomever was behind quickened their own and caught up with him.

He froze as a hand grabbed his arm. Thoughts zoomed through his mind but, he couldn't focus enough to know what they were. He turns to see Mystique, his mother if you could call her such a thing; the woman he told to leave him and his sister alone almost a year ago. Surprised but, angered, he pushed her hand and walked away before she could get one word in. Worried that she kept on following him, he ported home before she could do anything to him.

In the foyer of the house; Kurt huffed and puffed trying to catch his breath. He began to wonder what she could possibly want to talk to him about he was slammed in the back by the front door. Holding the back of his head he turned to see his sister and Kitty walking in with their hands over their mouths. In unison they apologized 'Sorry, Kurt.' He halfway looked up and said 'It's okay guys' as they walked up the stairs to their room.

He walked over to the window seat in the living room, threw his bag on the floor and plopped down. He stared out the window in a daze. He thought he saw movement in the bushes so he shook the haze from his mind and stared hard at the shrub he saw move more violently than it should. It didn't move but, stood eeralie still as if he was being watched from it.

He got up from his seat and walked toward the front door. He grabbed an umbrella from its holding place and headed out to the shrub. He stepped lightly as he got closer and closer to it. He raised the umbrella up over his head and struck down on the shrub with all his might; he slammed it down over and over again, beating the poor plant to near nothingness. He looked at the plant and wondered if paranoia was getting the best of him.

Riding up the drive way; Logan looked over at Kurt beating the shrub into salad. He walked up behind Kurt, who noticed a shadow behind him and swung. Avoiding being clobbered with an umbrella, Logan stepped to the left and grabbed it from Kurt. 'Elf, what the hell are ya doing?' Kurt looked up at him 'There vas something in ze bush.' Logan looked at Kurt raising an eyebrow. Kurt, wide eyed, eyebrows raised 'I svear, there vas something there.'

Inside of the house, Kurt paced. He wondered 'Could it have been her? She followed me home. Vhy?' He walked over to the window in his room; he looked over to the bushes. They swayed in the wind and their shadows danced over the grass. He turned away and in the corner of his eye her saw something dart behind a tree. He ran back to the window and scanned the yard, hoping to see what ever or whomever run again.

The shadows shifted awkwardly and he knew, so he ported after it. He landed on top of her, his knee in her back and her face in the grass. He whispered 'Vat are you doing here. I told you we don't want you anyvhere near us. Vhy are you doing zis to us. Just go avay.' She yelled over his panting 'I ... I never meant to hurt you or your sister. Despite what you think, I love the both of you with all my heart.' His eyes narrowed in anger 'Heart, heart, you have no heart. If you did, you vould have never done anything of vhat you did.'

She threw him off of her and she rushed to her feet. There was a foot of ground in between them; She stepped forward towards him. He puts his hand up in between them so she wouldn't get any closer to him. Her hand hides behind her back as he steps back; her hand slides in front of her with a black bottle in it. She sprays the liquid in the bottle in Kurt's face; he blinks for a moment and hits the floor.

Tugging and dragging she gets him off the mansions property. Moving quickly she enters the mansions grounds again. She walks under the balcony of her daughters bedroom, changes into Kurt and climbs the trellis. She sits on the stone railing and taps on the window with her tail. As Rogue walks to the window, she waves at her. She opens the door and tilts her head to the right 'What are ya doin on the balcony Kurt?' He slides off the stone railing and says 'Ve need to talk,' looks over at Kitty and adds 'In private.'

As they grabbed their coats off the rack and left the building, he wrapped his arm around her. He pulled her over to the bushes into the thickened area behind the trees. In the darkened area he looked down at the ground 'I vas followed home today.' She looks at him and places her hand on his shoulder 'Who followed you?' He gives her doe eyes 'Our mother. She tried to talk to me about something but, I got avay. She put this in my pocket.' He digs in his pocket and pulls out the black bottle and sprays it in her face, like Kurt before.

Hours later she wakes up in a building with its windows boarded up. Her vision blurry and her head throbbing. She looks over to see Kurt sprawled over a chair with an I.V. In his arm. She tried to move but, her hands and legs were bound to a chair that was nailed to the floor. She rocked, trying to fall over to the side. Her vision sharpens and she sees he is passed out; she yells 'Kurt, Kurt; wake up. What the hell's goin on?' He doesn't move but, she hears loud footsteps on their way towards her.

From behind there was a voice 'So, how are we feeling today?' Rogue clenches her jaw 'Why are you doin this ta us? Why don't you jus go away and leave us alone?' Raven talks to her daughter in a sweet tone ' Neither of you understand. I am your mother, you are my children. We are supposed to be a family but, you two never co-operate with my plans. Now I had to take things into my own hands.' Raven walks off into a room where the walls were barely staying up; after she fixed her family problem, things would be as they should.

Kitty sat in her room wondering how long Kurt and Rogue would be. She walked down stairs and into the kitchen. She seen Storm and Logan at the table and asks 'Have you like seen Kurt and Rogue. They've been gone a while.' Logan sat back in his chair 'Where'd they go?' 'I don't know, he said he needed to talk in private and they left. I have no idea where they went.' Logan picks up his beer 'Give em time. He might need help with somethin.'

In the old building Raven paced impatiently waiting for a man to arrive before the busybodies intervened in her business. She walked towards the window and seen he was just arriving. He pauses before he walks into the building, he walks over debris. The rotting wood and crumbling sheet rock made the building smell moldy and stale. He sees the glow of orange light and he follows it to find his newly found partner.

As he sees her, she shows him her children. The younger boy in the chair, she explains if he were awake he wouldn't stay put. The older daughter is tied to a chair because her ability is only affective when there is skin on skin contact. She directs him to a room where he could put his things and relax before he probed her children's minds and changed a few things.

An hour passed and he was ready but, she wanted to speak to him about what she wanted them to remember. She wanted them to remember her as a good mother and a loving, protective friend. She wanted them to love her like their adoptive parents. She knew that if they remembered how they grew up and with who they would and could never love her.

As she sat stuck to the chair she fidgeted and struggles with the ropes. She panicked as soon as she heard Mystiques plans for her and Kurt. The man stood in front of her and said 'If you don't fight it will be a lot easier on you. He put his hands up to her temples and closed his eyes.

Six hours have passed and a worried Kitty went to the professors office. She enters and he asks 'What's wrong Kitty?' She looked over at him 'I think something is wrong.' Her wide eyes seemed to become half their size 'Kurt and Rogue have been gone for like five hours and they haven't come back and it's like eleven thirty. They should be home.' He looks at her and gives her a caring smile 'Have you tried to call either of them?' She looks at the window and nods her head yes.

He brings Kitty down to cerebro and asks her to be silent 'If they haven't answered their phones in hours; Kitty you have a right to be worried. All of you have those phones so we can keep track of you. One of the stipulations was that the phones not be shut off unless the battery has died; no other exceptions.' He puts on cerebro' head piece and starts to concentrate.

In the dark, dank, ruined building Rogue sat in the chair and had to think quickly. His hands were at her temples, she jerked her face in his direction and there was contact. She absorbed him and he fell to the ground. She knew that is she were going to get her and Kurt out of there she'd have to get loose. Angered, Raven grabbed the man by the collar and threw him. She walked over to her daughter and slapped her; her gloves were a shiny black leather that matched her skirt.

She knelt down and looked up at her daughters red and purpling cheek. 'I didn't want to do that but, I know you'll forgive me very soon. All the secrets and the hate between us will go away just as soon as he wakes from the nap you just sent him on. I want to tell you before you don't remember. Kurt, you and I are family. Blood and not by paper; you both are my children are my blood and sooner than later we'll be a family.'

In the metaled room the professor sat and got a hit concerning Rogues powers. Worried he psychically told Logan to head to these co-ordinates fast because he picked up on Rogue using her powers on someone.

As he arrived at the dank building, Wolverine sniffed; he picked up both scents. He charged into the building, crushing the debris under his boots. Hearing Wolverine stomping through the building, Raven panicked. She wanted to grab her children and run but, there wouldn't be enough time. Her heart sank and she turned to run. Grabbing her by the wrist, Wolverine Ducks dodging her swift kick. He punched her in the kidney and she flopped over in pain.

The professor, Kitty and the rest of the team were on their way in the van. They drove fifteen miles to a derelict building. They piled out of the van and were given orders by Cyclops; they headed off in their directions.

Wolverine threw her to a wall; pieces of the rotting soggy wall fell on her. She got up and returned to her attack stance; she kicked and he grabbed her. He had his hands on her thigh and her hip; he threw her onto piled debris. As she landed, she winced in pain and grabbed her thigh. Blood streamed form her leg and she got up to run as her skirt ripped.

He untied Rogue from the chair and she quickly ran over to the ripped material. She cupped blood on the finished side of the leather so she and Kurt could finally know the truth. When they arrived home; she explained how Mystique tricked her pretending to be Kurt. As All the younger mutants went off to bed she asked the professor for a favor.

In the lab with the professor and Hank, they began to analyze the blood that had absorbed into the leather. Hank typed on the keyboard, looked into the microscope and placed another slide under the the microscope lens. He typed in more information and adjusted his magnifying glass and scratched his head. He placed two other slides next to the first two; he pulled up some other information and he seemed to freeze.

The look on his face seemed to be astonished and overwhelmed. His mind was in jumbles and he just couldn't explain how. He looked off in the distance 'How could this be? How could we have not picked up on it.' Rogues' face darkened 'So it is true. Was it jus another lie. This was important how could she lie about this. It's more important than any thin else. Why?' Hank turned to her and said 'It is true. You and Kurt are indeed genetically related to Raven Darkholme. You are her children.'

The professor pushed back in his chair and stared at her. His heart felt what she was feeling betrayed, angry, horrified, and disturbed. He sat and wondered 'Knowing these children for as long as I have; I have never picked up on the possibility that her truth was just another lie. But, this time there will never be any looking back on the possibility that they would ever forgive her for keeping them apart for their entire lives.'

As she entered the med lab Kurt's eyes opened and she sat in the chair next to his bed. She grabbed his hand and said 'Ah need to tell ya somethin important.' His eerie gray eyes looked up into hers 'Mystique lied ta us, again. This time it's somethin we shoulda known from the get go. She really is our mother. We jus proved it. We both came from her, not jus you.' His eyes widened to where she knew there was no more white of his eyes to expose. He craned his neck towards her and grabbed her, his grip was tight as his arms wrapped around her and knew he wasn't alone anymore.


	2. Ch 2 Haunting

Haunting: Part 1– (A year after the battle with Apocalypse. May)

"2:37in the mornin' ah' cant believe this is happening again. Ugh." She rolled over on her left side and tried to fall back asleep, she thought to herself. 'This idin't fair. Why is it that ah' cant get t' sleep without one of them damn nightmares an' everyone else is sleepin' like a baby.

In her frustration she sat up and looked across the room at her roommate Kitty, with her stuffed dragon Lockheed clutched tightly in her arms. She grabbed the hunter green comforter and tossed it off of her legs to reveal orange pajama pants and a matching long sleeve shirt. She got out of her bed, slipped her feet into her fuzzy black slippers and started for the door.

Kitty turns over and groans in her sleep. Rogue grabs the doorknob, twists it open and enters the long hallway that connects this corridor to the next. The shiny hardwood floors with a maroon carpet runner squeaked every few steps. The soft swishing of her slippers adding to the quiet noise in the hall as she journeyed on down the hallway to the grand staircase.

At the top of the staircase she could hear a melody that she knew somehow; wafting its way up the stairs. She could hear slight pings of piano keys. She made her way to the doorway of the music room; that was set up a few months before she had got there; which was nearly five years ago. She slightly poked her head in the room to see it was pitch black except for a small lamp that was pointed at the pianos' keys. She squinted and strained her eyes trying to see who this mystery person was; who was playing a familiar tune on the piano in the middle of the night.

She quietly entered the room; periodically getting closer and closer; becoming more and more familiarized with the repetitive tune being played by this person. She was so close that she looked at the hands of this person and seen the masculine features. She got closer to the mystery man and she began to smell his musk; a musk she knew, one that was familiar but she couldn't figure out who he was. She took in a deep breath and smelt along with the musk a slight scent of cigarette smoke; she knew who he was automatically.

Her mind raced as the melody sped up slightly. 'Ah can't believe it why's e' back? It's only been a few months. why's e' back!' The floor where she was standing squeaked loudly; loud enough he could have heard it; he stopped playing. His hands reached for something at his feet; in the darkness she couldn't see what he reached for. A moment later he reached to the small lamp, turned it off and began to walk towards the door.

She started to relax when she felt a breeze past her face and something hit her then pinned her against the back wall of the music room. The lights flicked on to show the Professor standing at the doorway looking surprised to see Rogue pinned to the wall by Gambit and his staff. Not even knowing who he pinned to the wall out of his own paranoia, he turned to see an agitated Rogue held to the wall in place of someone he thought was going to attack him.

Shock crossed Gambits' face for a moment; than the charming smile she could sometimes get sick of appeared on his face along with a gleam of happiness in his eyes, where the anger and surprise once was. He took most of the pressure off of her, until she also had the staff in her hands. She pushed away from her body and walked away from him and the wall. Still in shock and awe; the Professor sat at the doorway with a wicked smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

She walked passed the Professors chair as he looked up at her curiously and smiled. She headed to the kitchen with the two men steps behind her. She opens the refrigerator and pulls out a jug of apple juice, then heads to the cupboard above the double sink and takes out a coffee mug. She's sitting at the table as the two men enter the kitchen, Gambit goes to the same cupboard and pulls out another mug; he gestures at the Professor, he nod's so Gambit grabs another.

Handing the mug's over to Rogue, he sits down. She fills the mugs and passes them; one to the right of her to the Professor and the other to the left to Gambit. The Professor takes a sip and says "I am actually surprised that you're up."

She looks at him but doesn't respond, he chimes in again "I figured that you of all people would be so exhausted that you would sleep through to Sunday." She gives him an effortless smile, so he asks "How has your sleep pattern been? I remember our conversation earlier this week; you were telling me that you couldn't get back to sleep after you wake in the middle of the night. Is it why you are up now?"

She nods heavily, like it was hard to keep her head off of the table; she then uses her left arm to help prop her head up. She angles her head slightly, so she could see the incredibly handsome Cajun. He sat quietly, shifting his vision from her to the Professor and back, just watching them and not involving himself in something that didn't involve him; for once.

She sat there with the two men in a silence that seemed to go on forever, she wondered 'What's e' doin here? why's e' sittin jus' staring at me? Ah' can't believe it, now they're both jus' staring at me! Ah' cant believe it now they're both doin' it.' She sits up, stares evilly at both of them and gets up and leaves.

Back in her room; walking to her bed she plops down in frustration, closes her eyes and begins to count.

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7......." An hour passes; she yawns "1009, 1010, 1011" YAWN "1003, 1004, 1005" YAWN....... She stops for a moment trying to remember if she had messed up;

at this point her eyes and brain were to tired to go on, so she drifted off to sleep..........

Part 2

**DREAM :** She stood in a dark room trying to figure out where she was; it looked familiar but, she couldn't tell in this light. Slowly the room got brighter and brighter, until she could see that she definitely knew this room. This house was the house she grew up in with Irene; the woman who raised her and the one she affectionately called 'mom'. She sees a little girl with long dark brown pigtails in her hair; in a green jumper playing with a whisk by an open door.

The little girl pretends that it's flying, then it crashes; after she dropped it to the floor it rolled into the dark room across from her and it sounded like it fell. She looked at the little girl and wondered how she once was her. A woman (her mother) shorter than the apparently invisible 18 year old version of herself in the other room appears from the kitchen.

She walks close to her mother, the one person who had never been obligated to care and even love her; it was just natural. She; her mother was wearing a pastel yellow button down shirt with gray pleated pants. Her hair was short as Rogue had remembered it for most of her childhood; with reading glasses on and a cookbook in hand.

She looked down at her 7 year old daughter and said her name. For some reason the older version of her couldn't hear the name her mother had given her but, she knew she was saying it. She could see her mother getting angry that her daughter was ignoring her, so she raised her voice and said the name again with 'Where's the whisk?'

The little version of herself pointed down the stairs of the dark room; which was the basement. Her mother looked, flicked on the basement light and said "Well yd better go and get it. Ah' told you not to play with mamas' utensils. She looked at her daughter and pointed down the stairs, showing her she had to go and get it.

With a look of fear on her little face, she looked down the stairs to see some light an the

bottom. She looked up at her mom to see her standing arms folded over her chest and her foot tapping waiting for her daughter to start down the stairs. The older version of herself looked worried. She got closer to her 7 year old self and looked down as she put her tiny hand on the banister and began to slowly walk down; step by step.

The older version of Rogues' vision shifted and she became the 7 year old walking down the stairs to the scary basement. Standing on the last step at the foot of the stairs she could see the whisk directly in the middle of the large room right under the light. To the little girl it looked like a spotlight was on the whisk and the rest of the room was dark, so dark you couldn't see what was right in front of you.

She stepped down off the step and walked towards her goal, so she could hurry and run back up stairs where it felt safe. She got to the whisk, picked it up and looked at her surroundings. It seemed darker now that she was in the bright circle of light and she was now more afraid to leave it's comfort.

The light of her protector began to dim as she grew anxious. She thought if she stayed the light would go out, if she left she would be submerged in the darkness that frightened her so. She began to call out 'Mom' she paused 'MOM'... The light grew more dim to where it was barely on, then she screamed '**MOMMY**!' Her screams weren't answered by her mother, then the light went out. She began to cry loudly, loud enough someone would hear her but, who?

Pitch black, standing still; crying loudly in what still seemed to be the basement of her childhood home. A noise from something that moved in the darkness that had now engulfed the small child. She could hear the sounds coming from who ever or whatever was there closing in on her.

Soon she felt a hand on her shoulder. The hand belonged to someone in the darkness; someone she couldn't see but, she trusted its touch as it guided her to a place of light. She knelt on her knees because the light was closest to the floor and it seemed that if she

crawled to it she would be able to reach it. A gentle voice cried out to her 'You must hurry, I can't protect you anymore.'

She crawled as fast as she could and eventually began to crawl through bushes and plants until she re-emerged as tall and as befuddled as she was in her old home. She found herself in the yard of her current home by the gazebo, looking around she wondered how she got there.

She walked through the French doors that led into one of the houses' dens'. She shut the door, turned around and she was now in one of the houses' lower levels. Behind her the elevator door, in front of her the hallway that leads to cerebro. Hearing the soft pitter patter of foot steps ahead of her, she begins to travel down the long and unwelcoming hallway. She sees someone enter cerebro so she followed. At the doorway she stood for a moment then went in.

In the real world outside of her head; there was a knock at the bedroom door. No one answered so the man on the other side knocked louder; Kitty's eyes shot open. She walked to the door and yelled 'Who?' The man on the other end said 'Half pint, you gotta call downstairs.' She unlocked the door and looked up at her 'Don't call me teacher' teacher.

She slowly walked down the hall to the stairs, phased through them and picked up the phone. Wolverine passed her into the kitchen where Storm was behind the stove cooking a Saturday morning feast. She watches him as he goes to the fridge grabs a beer and sits down at the table. She begins to laugh at him; he looks at her for a moment then turns back to the long neck beer he's been wanting all morning.

Scott and Kurt walk in and Scott asks 'Don't you usually wait 'till noon to start at it Logan?' Kurt looks at the annoyed look on Wolverines' face and begins to laugh uncontrollably. The professor enters the room saying 'The guests should be here some time this afternoon.' He looks over his shoulder at Gambit and continues 'They are some very unique characters; these five young men. So, when you introduce yourself...' he turns to look up at him in his eyes 'Do not act like, hum; let me put it in terms to which ...' he turns to everyone and finishes 'All of you will completely understand. Act like civilized, good, gracious people you rarely are, unlike the animals you usually are.'

Kitty was standing in the doorway 'What's the big deal about these guys?' The professor responds 'Good question, Kitty. They are good people I'm hoping we all can make friends with.' He smiles and exits the kitchen; seconds later he re-emerged in the doorway asking ' Where is Rogue? She should be hearing this too.' Kitty replies 'Last I seen she was still asleep. Why, do you want me to get her?' He says 'No Kitty. Let her sleep; you can reiterate it for her when she wakes up. He leaves once again. The buzz from them talking is heard by Jean way down the hall.

Jean looks in the kitchen to see five faces of the people she lives with gossiping about something. She walks in and a hush falls over the five of them who just noticed someone walk into the kitchen. Scott, Kurt and Gambit turned to see Jean when she asks 'What's up, you guys.'

Rogue walks into cerebro and sees no one, she wonders to herself 'Am ah' going crazy?' The room changes; she's now somewhere old, very old. Dim torches lead her down a short hall, where the walls were covered in pictures and writing she could not understand. The short hall lead to a large cold room; like the hall she just emerged from it was covered from ceiling to floor in the pictures and writings.

She walks over to a large column, the writing and pictures were carved into it like the other seven that were in the room. Her clothes were different. Her hair was pulled out of her face and put into waves with ribbons of it falling into her eyes. She moves the hair from her eyes and sees the soft pale gray dress she was wearing; it draped on her with many similarities to a Grecian styled dress. Heavy gold bracelets adorned her wrists and an even heavier necklace lay flat on her neck.

Bricks of rich yellow kept the walls up and the sweltering heat out. As she followed the large columns, the low glow of the torches reflected off the thin gold strings in her hair. In a room that she followed the columns to, was a tall man wearing a dark cloak. Inches away from him; she puts her hand on his arm. Covered by the cloak he puts his hand over hers.

Slowly he turns to reveal himself as Apocalypse. Her eyes widen in horror as she thinks to herself 'This can't be happenin'. Ah' got rid of ya myself. He can't be here, it's impossible.' She pulls her hand away but, he won't let her loose. Looking down on the young girl calmly, he squeezes her hand until he hears a loud POP. He looked back at her face, to see her wincing in pain and he smiled.

The doorbell rang and Storm went to answer it; she looks at her watch it's 4:29pm. She opens the door with a smile and said 'You must be the five young men we've been waiting for. Please come in.' The men walk in and look around. One of them, the smallest whistles and says 'Wow.' Storm directs them to the den and excuses herself to go get the professor. They sat in the den on the left side of the staircase and talked amongst them selves.

Jubilee and Bobby Drake enter the house arguing loudly. On his way to meet the group of men he invited to his house he could hear the two fighting. Overhearing the fight the guys smile at the two young kids fighting on the stairs. The professor got there and quickly resolved the problem between Jubilee and Bobby. As he entered the room he excused his students then himself for taking so long. The young men introduced themselves as Oliver, Victor, Bart, A.C. And Clark.

Upstairs in their room, Kitty ties her shoelace and looks at her roommates clock and sees it's 4:41pm. She walks over to Rogues' bedside and says 'I know you're gonna be like really mad at me when I wake you up but, I have to.' She shakes Rogues arm vigorously thinking that if she did Rogue would wake right up.

She waits a few moments then repeats her annoying act. She says 'Rogue. Sorry but, you totally need to get up.' No response from her roommate so she begins to speak louder. 'You said we could hang out today and I could seriously go for shopping and a movie, so get up!' Wolverine passing the doorway sees Kitty rocking Rogue from side to side and smiles.

Standing there he watches as the young and slightly annoying Kitty Pride try to get her roommate out of bed. He chimes in saying 'If you want some advise on getting that kid outta bed, I'll give ya a few pointers, half pint.' She nods and he walks up to the other side of the bed and winks. He says nearly yelling 'You're gonna be late for training kid and if you're late the penalty is an hour long session in the danger room with me at the controls.

He stares down at Rogue waiting for a response but, he got nothing. Lying still in the bed on her back, he thought to himself 'I never seen her sleep like this. Usually any type of light or sound woulda woke her up'. Looking a little worried he grabbed the shirt she put out for the next day, put his hand in it so he could check her pulse. Feeling her strong heartbeat, some of the worry left him but, he still couldn't stop the nagging feeling something was wrong.

Part 3

Still crushing her hand; she screams and his pale gray features turned angry and somewhat monstrous in the dim light. He grabbed her throat with his left hand and lifted her from the ground. Unable to breathe her eyes began to close as he chokes the life from her; his jailer. Her nails sliced his skin open but, he bleeds no blood so it didn't even phase him.

Logan sat at her bedside still trying to wake her as he sees her chest rise and fall much faster than before. She begins to gasp for air, a freaked out Logan yells to Kitty to go find Hank. Kitty runs through the halls, down the stairs and in the foyer yelling from the top of her lungs 'Hank! Hank! HANK!'

The six men in the den shift in their seats to see a scared Kitty screaming 'WHERE'S HANK!' The professor Calmly asks 'Kitty, what seems to be the problem?' She says 'Something is wrong. She totally like started gasping for air and Wolverine told me to find Hank. HANK!' The professor replied 'What are you talking about, sweetheart?' She says 'Rogue. She wont wake up and, and...' She looks to the kitchen doorway, sees him and yells 'Hank!'

Holding a coffee cup in hand startled he says 'Hello to you too Kitty.' She quickly says as she leads him away 'No time to explain but, we need your help in my room.' The professor Turns back to his companions and apologizes. Suddenly he looks off in the distance as a look of fear crossed his face, then he excused himself.

Hank examined Rogue but, couldn't figure out what was wrong, why she couldn't breathe. Quickly he decided to himself 'We should get her downstairs so I could properly examine her.' Agreeing Logan threw the comforter off of her and lifted her near lifeless body. Running through the halls with a quickly depleting Rogue in his arms, Logan, Kitty and Hank arrived at the elevator.

Kitty presses the button over and over again but, the elevator was busy so they had to rethink their plan. The three run through the halls, down the stairs and the foyer. Seeing three people running downstairs with a fourth in one of their arms one of them stood up. The attention of the others locked onto their friend and what he was looking at. The three of them looked at the five men in the den and said 'Where's Xavier, half pint?'

Kitty searched the room frantically and shrugged her shoulders as Clark said 'He left a couple of minutes ago. What happened?' Wolverine says 'Screw it. We gotta get this kid downstairs' he looks at Hank and Kitty, then says 'Lets go!' The three run out of sight and moments later the professor returns. Clark says A girl and two men were looking for you. They had another girl in one of the guys arms.'

A worried look crossed his gently wrinkled face. He gestured for them to follow him as he lead them to the hidden elevator on the ground floor. He says 'I know you are all trustworthy young men and you all have your secrets. All I wish is that you keep mine; something is going on so I don't have a moment to explain. I know you all will understand.' The door opened and a few eyes widened. As the elevator reached the right floor the door opened again.

As they walked down the metal covered hall doors on a pressure gage opened and shut. They approached a door near the end of the hall and it opened to reveal Rogue on an examination table with wires stuck to her. Tubes ran from around her head and up her nose to help her breathe. Shock was easily read off the six faces that entered the room but, the professor was shocked yet horrified.

He closed the distance from him to the table, then asked 'What happened?' Hank responded 'I truly have no idea. The answer completely eludes me.' The professor grabs her hand; Kitty looked on bracing for what was going to happen. His hand felt her soft cold hand in his. Surprised with the outcome he said to her 'What could have happened to you in the few short hours we haven't seen each other?'

A scared surprised look crossed Hanks' face as he asked 'What are you talking about professor?' The professor explained how he seen her late last night because she couldn't sleep. Hank pondered what could have possibly happened to her while she was asleep that could cause this to happen. An idea popped into his head and he said 'Why don't you ask her yourself, professor? From the inside.'

Xavier raised an eyebrow to Hank's suggestion but, decided to do it. Sitting before her head, he placed his hands at the sides of her head and concentrated. Images of people, places and things fly by like a picture slide show but, faster. He finds himself in the short hall that was covered in hieroglyphics. Looking at them they seemed so familiar but, doesn't connect them to where.

He stands from his sitting position, turns and walks down the hall. Like before it emptied into a large, cold, hieroglyph covered room. He followed the columns like she did before him. He approached the arch way of the room before him seeing Rogue hanging two feet from the ground by a large dark figure cloaked in a brown hood.

The figure feels the presence of someone else and turns to see Xavier and Xavier sees the dark figure is Apocalypse. Feeling threatened by Xavier's presence, Apocalypse throws Rogue to a wall on the other side of the room. Quickly Xavier runs over to the seemingly lifeless body on the floor. A flair in the monitors takes everyone by surprise as they wailed loudly for a few moments.

On his knees Trying to see if she was okay, he proceeds to cradle her head in his lap. She begins to move slightly, then opens her eyes and he says 'It's time for you to wake up now sweetheart. I saw him leave, everything is fine now; we should join the real world now.' She tries to smile but, is to weak and nods softly. Looking down on her, he was back and she still didn't wake but, he knew she was alright; she just needed rest.

Word of what happened spread through the house like wildfire. An hour passed and the house was buzzing about what had happened and theories of why it happened. Xavier, Hank and Wolverine sat in the room for hours until she woke up at 4:53 in the morning. The professor glanced at her showing her that they needed to talk when she got better. As she left the room he worried that there was more than just a dream he needed to worry about; Especially since her power never came back.


	3. Ch 3 Who I Am Isn't Who I've Been

Who I am Isn't who I've been: (Third week of May)

'I'll let her rest, for now. But, when she is better; she and I are going to have a serious conversation about what she's been keeping from us.' From his chair positioned on the other side of the room he watched as she turned in her sleep. He thought to himself 'Charles, how could you have not noticed. Ever since that fateful day she has been different; I just couldn't put my finger on it.' He looked over at Wolverine who sat in a steel fold out chair and had been watching ever since about a week ago. He watched as she woke and slept to see if she changed other than losing her power.

As he moved his chair towards the bed in the infirmary he paused. 'She seemed normal these past few days but, what if it's just a hoax. A wolf in sheep's clothing; hiding deep down so he wouldn't be detected within the child.' He closed the distance between himself and the bed, he rested his hand on the back of her neck and felt the heat emanating off of it. Since the day he tried to kill her, she has been dealing with horrible blistering fevers. He knew as each child evolved it would be different; if they would evolve.

Rogue's body he thought was adjusting to the changes of his power. There wasn't much he understood about her powers from the beginning and the only person who really knew about the absorption ability was an evil and murderous man; it was obvious that he wanted her dead, so why would he help her. He looked up at the I.V. Hank had injected into into her arm. The fluid was nearly half finished and she didn't look any better than she did the day he had attacked her. He thought to himself 'She was fine most of the week but, the past few days... The past few days. She doesn't seem to be getting any better.'

The next day Kurt sat at her bedside for 16 hours. He wanted to will his sister better but, it seemed to do no good. As the night ran late he fell asleep; his head rested on the thin padding of the mattress and her hand was clasped into his tightly.

She woke, her vision was blurred and she felt dizzy. She sat up in the bed and seen Kurt asleep resting on the bed in a metal chair; he looked so uncomfortable but, her heart melted at the sight. She rubbed the jagged pieces of sleep out of her eyes as she saw him moving. He seemed to jump out of his sleep feeling that she was awake. Not even bothering to shake off the cobwebs he tackled with a hug and then felt her forehead; it wasn't hot like it had been, the fever had went down and he held her tighter.

He asked 'Are you hungry? No I'll...' Before she could answer he ported out of the room to the elevator. She sat in the empty infirmary, she looked around. She seen some of her clothes thrown over a chair a bowl with a rag floating in shallow water. It seemed that she had gotten pretty sick just by looking at the state of the room. She dared herself to get up; she felt her legs want to collapse from under. She walked like a baby deer and crashed into a counter. Kurt ran back into the put the plate down and grabbed her. The professor entered a moment later to see Kurt putting his sister back into bed.

As she fell back into bed she began to rub her now hurting calf's. She hadn't walked in almost two weeks. They all kept her in bed even as she fought to get up and out. She remembered feeling like she couldn't breathe, then the professor walking, waking up the first time after with Logan and the professor hovering around her with Hank in the background. She knew that she went in and out of consciousness, she would wake up and be wearing something different, her hair was brushed and her fingernails would be painted. She knew Kitty would visit her when she was asleep because the rest of the day she was busy with school and training.

Kurt began to hover over her. He had a plate in one hand and a cup wrapped with napkins in the other. He wanted to force her to eat but, she wouldn't let him. She fought with him, pushing his hands away from her face. He had a fork and it was covered in food but, she wasn't hungry. After a week of barely eating her appetite had shrunk to nearly nothing. The food had smelt good but, it didn't seem like it would satisfy her; nothing did.

Her head had been empty for some time now. The only personalities left were her own and his. He kept his thoughts quiet from her, like he didn't want her to hear them; as if he was planning something. As the professor shooed Kurt away, she just stared at him waiting for what he was going to say. He wanted to ask her every question that he had wanted to ask her from the start. He knew that she couldn't take his questioning, not yet anyway; he would have to wait just a little longer.

She pushed all the clothes off of the bed. She was kind of happy with the fact that she could finally sleep in her own bed and be out from under the house. Dreading the fact that she was out of the infirmary she plopped on the bed, she knew that now that she was much better than she had been in weeks she would have to explain what happened a year ago. She had taken all her sick days in the past two weeks and graduation was only three weeks away. Kitty knocked on the door, poked her head in 'Hey, um... The professor wants to see you. He said he's going to like be in his office.'

She walked into the office without knocking. He looked up from his computer and gestured for her to sit in one of the chairs opposite from his desk. She sat in the plush chair, looked at him for a moment, then stared down at her shoes. She knew that she would have to tell him what happened, how she messed up. He sat quietly and waited to see if she would start to explain.

He folded his hands in his lap and asked 'How are you feeling?' She looked up and sourly added 'Don't ya' jus' want ta cut ta the chase?' The professor gave her a weak smile 'Yes, I would like to know what happened but, I didn't want to just go for the jugular in a questioning scene.' She nodded heavily and looked down again 'Ah was in the pyramid and ah went to close the tomb. He grabbed me and ah tried to pull away but, he was to strong. Ah... ah ..' She couldn't say it, didn't want to say it because then it would be true, if it was said out loud.

He came out from behind his desk; he grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently. He just wanted everything to start being as normal as possible for her and the rest of his students. He psychically let her know that he would help her every step of the way in every way possible. She continued 'Ah was wearing my gloves. He was so strong and ah pulled away. It didn't matter ah jus pulled and pulled he wouldn't let me go. So ah kept tryin, then ah slid out of my glove. Ah was pulling so hard ah hit the floor when ah slipped out.'

He sat there his brow furrowed, his heart sinking. He held her hand tighter as her grip loosened, he wanted her to know that she was there for her. 'Ah sat there on the ground for a minute til ah snapped outta it. Ah got up ta see he was squeezin my glove in his hand. His hand was in the tomb now, ah guess ah must ta weakened him or something, so ah closed the last door. Ah turned the power on and stepped back. My head was so loud after and ah, ah couldn't think anymore. Ah couldn't remember what ah was doin, who ah was or where ah was til ah saw Logan. He pulled me away an' ah remembered again.'

The orange glow of the sun setting illuminated the office. Her skin was warm with the orange glow, her eyes took on the orange of the sun as it shone in her face. The colors in the sky shifted from orange to pink to lavender than to indigo. The nighttime stars began to gleam as he comforted her and asked her more questions about him, her and how her mind was. She would tell him about how much it hurt at first and the difference of not feeling anything now. She got up from the chair, walked to the door,turned and looked at him with a venerability he had never seen in her before. The last thing she said to him before she walked out of his office was 'Who I am isn't who I've been.' She ducked her head into its new hanging place and headed out the room into the long hall.


	4. Ch 4 Hush PT 1

This is my attempt at being a little creepy. All of the stuff to do with their dreams and minds, lets just say I tried. Please R&R.

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Hush Little Baby... Don't You Cry: PART 1: (Fourth week of May)

"How would you feel if your worst fears came to be real. Locked into a tiny room with the walls closing in as the seconds pass by; to be buried alive with all that you know standing feet away not knowing of your presence.

"The one person who swore revenge on you suddenly re-appearing with you powerless to stop him and those closest to you who swore to protect you, watching unable to help.

"Finally realizing that you're not needed or wanted in a place you call home. Or; never being able to save someone you love because you didn't get there in time. These are some of the nightmares they face, the students I mentor, the staff I know, the people I love."

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"Professor. Professor?"

Charles Xavier looks up into the eyes of his student.

"Hey, professor. You wanted to speak to me?"

"Yes, Rogue. I waned to ask how you were feeling."

She smiles at him; her hair not as short as she normally wore it. After the past year or so, she just might have wanted a change. She responds "Well, professor. It's been a while since well, you know." She sat on the edge of seat and set her voice to a whisper "Every thing's been creepily normal. Oh, ah shouldn't have said that because it'll get bad, right?"

He smiled more wide and said "Knock on wood."

The 18 year old girl walked out of his office blissfully unaware of what was coming.

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Jean Grey sat in the gazebo; buried under books ad papers. Highlighter in hand, going over pages in her books her brow furrowed and she wondered why she couldn't find a specific paragraph to finish her paper.

Scott walks up the stairs of the gazebo with coffee in hand, she looks up at her handsome and sweet boyfriend and gives him a frustrated smile.

Passing the coffee he asks "You're still not done?"

She looks at him and says "I had an idea with a passage in this book, but I cant find it. Until I do, the paper won't be finished."

He put his arm around her "It'll be easier if we both look." She smiles and agrees to letting him help look for the passage.

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Rogue sat in the kitchen at the table flipping through her history book for one of the last times; slams the cover shut and says "Ah can't find the point for history in school. It makes no scene.

Storm stands at the refrigerator door picking out vegetables to go with the nights dinner. She laughs to herself and says "The reason for history in school is so the younger generations can learn from their forefathers mistakes by not stupidly repeating them."

Rogue responds as Wolverine walks into the kitchen "Ah can't wait till ah don't have to learn more things ah don't even care about."

Reaching his hand into the fridge wrapping his hand around his beer he says "I completely agree."

Rogue smiles as Storm asks "What have you learned that you weren't forced to learn?"

He looks into her eyes and says "Way to much Stormy, way to much." He looks at his hands and stares off into space for a moment.

With an eyebrow raised, Rogue looks over at Storm and shrugs. Storm smiles warmly in the young girls direction. Rogue walks over to Storm and asks "Do you think everyone'll be mad or somethin' if ah don't wanna go to the graduation?"

Surprised by the question she was asked, Storm smiles and says "Well, honey. The decision is yours. None of us can make you go if you don't want to go."

Snapping out of his adventures in space, Wolverine listens in. Storm continued "We would love to watch you go up on the stage and get your diploma. If you decide not to, it wouldn't make us any less proud of you."

Rogue smiles and walks over to the table to see a completely aware Wolverine watching her. As she sits he adds "Kid. Either way, if you do or if you don't go. It doesn't make it any less of an accomplishment. It just means you don't want to wear a matching hat and dress like the other one or two hundred kids in your class." The two of them stood there smiling as Rogue gathered her books ready to go upstairs.

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Xavier was in his office and he slowly slipped into twilight as his mind came alive.

How seen his son David as he would have if he had raised him. He was a boy of 9 years old in his home before it had expanded so large and became mutant manor. Toys littered across the living room floor and a fire warming his sons chubby cheeks.

As the fire flared David grew to be the hate filled Lucas he had become, the way he had first and lastly seen his son before he flew off to the horizon.

Angered Lucas yelled his threat "You will seek the madness that is hidden within this house. To see those you care for perish as nightmares come to life and worst fears fulfilled and the people in your life struggle to come to terms with what is and not what might be."

The house is set a blaze to his fear. What he worked for was beginning to perish, his home, his friends, his life long commitment ruined as he sat there helpless.

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Charles awoke to the young Kitty Pryde rocking his arm gently. He looked into the big blue eyes which reminded him so much of his own and faked a smile. Smiling back at him she handed him a paper needing his signature; she smiled again, thanked him and walked out of his office.

With a look of confusion and terror mingling in the blue of his eyes, Charles sat there pondering what made this dream worry him so much.

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Strolling through the foyer in mid-argument; Kitty Pryde and Kurt Wagner fought over who got to take the car tomorrow; Friday night. The fight got worse with Kitty beginning to screech and Kurt beginning to yell over her screeching.

Wolverine quickly gets to the foyer, annoyed because the fighting grew so loud it interrupted his meditation. The two 17 year olds were nose to nose yelling as loud as they could at each other, when

Wolverines shadow engulfs their tiny bodies. Him not being a very tall man at 5'7", seemed like a giant to the two 5'2" teenagers in front of him. His hands clasped their narrow shoulders tightly as he pulled them apart.

Knowing who they pissed off with their petty fighting, they seemed to freeze as he pulled them apart. He growled angrily as he stared at the two frozen teenagers before him. They didn't dare to protest or wriggle out of his grasp knowing how much more trouble they would be in.

He asks with a roaring growl "Is there a problem? Elf.... Half pint?" They look at each other, then at him and quickly shake their heads no.

He responds "If this is about the car for Friday, nobody gets it." Shock embedded its self on their faces, as their eyebrows change into an angry V.

He continues "So, you guys didn't know. Huh." He flashed a crooked smile of knowing and said "If ya wanna finish this up. You can finish it in the danger room. Just think of it, the half pint versus the elf."

The two looked at him as if he were going crazy. He looked back at them, his eyes serious and dark, giving them their last warning letting them know what the consequences were. An hour or two in the danger room with him at the controls busting their asses.

He stalked away in a huffy mood because of the two five foot two pains in his ass that seemed to argue all of the tie now.

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In the gazebo, Scott and Jean rummaged through two copies of the same book, still looking for the passage she needed.

Scott read to himself, skimming through the lines 'The only victory that counts is the victory that slips through your fingers when you manage to keep your mind on your goal in spite of it.' He thinks to himself 'Oh, this guy doesn't know anything. I bet he's never even seen a single fight let alone a war.'

Jean laughed and said "Scott, he was a general in the Vietnam war."

Scott looking embarrassed says "Didn't know that."

She smiled at him and pulled a lock of hair that kept falling in her face behind her ear and read on. A quote catches her attention "Fear nothing but fear its self and you'll be okay. War is a terrifying place to be; knowing that kept me from fearing the war I was fighting at 18. I was just a scared kid. I didn't know what I was getting into." She leaned back on the wooden column and became lost in the mans words.

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"I love history." Rogue sang in a musical and sarcastic tone. She pushed back in the computer chair, in the study on the second floor and bumped into an agitated Kitty. "Oh, shit. Ah'm sorry Kitty."

Kitty plopped into an armed leather chair and said "This is so totally not fair." Rogue stayed quiet and raised an eyebrow , which to Kitty meant go on,

"Can you believe that were stuck here tomorrow night."

Rogue who began sipping on a soda when Kitty began to talk choked. Surprised Kitty jumped to her feet to help her choking friend; she heavily patted Rogue on the back as Rogue began to force out words.

"Kitty ah'm alright." Kitty looking concerned just sat there and stared at her for a few seconds. Rogue continued "Ah didn't hear anything about that."

Kitty quickly responded "When I was fighting with Kurt; Wolverine broke it up and told us that. He told us no one goes like nowhere."Puzzled the two girls rushed out of the study, downstairs to the professors office.

They busted through the door not knowing he was in the middle of a conversation on the phone. He held his hand up in the stop position and they stood still. He continued on with his conversation for 10 minutes then hung up.

They walked over to the two seats in front of his desk and sat down. Kitty hesitated trying to get the words out right when Rogue just says them "Why are we stuck in the house tomorrow, Prof.?"

He responds with "I figured that was why the two of you barged in without knocking." Before Kitty could comment he cut her off with "I would rather have all of you home tomorrow. The only ones who get to leave are the ones going home for the weekend. Like Jean."

This time Rogue cut Kitty off, her mouth was in a shape of an O. "Ah thought she wasn't finished wit' her paper? She said she wouldn't go if she wasn't done."

The professor replied "I believe she is finishing right now. As for what I was saying before; no one goes out tomorrow night, alright?" The two girls got up and left his office.

Slightly paranoid about the dream he had he let word out to his staff that no one is allowed to go out Friday night, Saturday or Sunday. He didn't know for sure, but he felt something was amiss.

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Midnight was close; the students and teachers at Xaviers school were annoyed to the fact that they had to cancel their weekend plans.

Rogue sat across form Scott; Kitty from Storm; Jean from Kurt and Wolverine was sitting in a backwards chair and occasionally looked down at his watch.

Rogue stood up and said "Ah give up. Ah'm going 'ta sleep."

Kitty nodded and said "Me too. I'm like totally wiped.

Storm looked up at the clock and said "Well, it's five to twelve. I'll follow the girls good example and head up to bed. Good night everyone." Wolverine followed and it was just Scott, Jean and Kurt left up.

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Outside the gate of the house a man stood near a tree looking through the bars at the infamous house of mutants. He closed his eyes and concentrated, he saw Kitty and Rogue getting into bed; fluffing pillows and grabbing a stuffed animal. The light in the girls room went out and the man smiled. His eyes opened; he was alert, noticing cameras in trees and on the gate, he began to plan on getting into the house.

He walked a few yards and closed his eyes again. He saw Scott, Jean and Kurt saying goodnight to each other, then parting ways to their rooms. His eyes opened again and he wrapped his fingers around his chin thinking of what he could do.


	5. Ch 5 Hush PT 2

**A.N.** Hey guys, From now on it might get a little confusing. Remember they are just dreams. Mwahaha. Anyways, Please Read and review. Oh, and my first character, he belongs to me. His name is Night Stalker.-jadeDino.

Hush Little Baby... Don't You Cry Part 2:

He closed his eyes again, but this time was the last. He saw Wolverine and Storm parting ways and an evil smile corrupted his freshly shaved face. He in a sense was following Wolverine with his mind.

He felt from the energies coming off of Wolverine that he was a perfect new target. He let Wolverine settle and slowly fall asleep; then he entered the domain that even the professor had trouble sorting through. He sat in Wolverines mind and began to create his nightmare.

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In cylinder type tank; Logan was wearing an oxygen mask and had I.v.'s stuck in both his arms and both his legs. Men in white lab coats were all around. They wrote stats on clipboards, typing on typewriters and discussing amongst themselves.

The look on the face of the mutant that had invaded his mind was a look of being bored. He spices it up by putting a conscious Logan in it, strapped to a table with two young women; one on each side of him strapped to their own tables.

Logan turns right and sees a sleeping Kitty Pryde strapped to the table. He tries to break free of his restraints but cant; he's to weak.

Magneto, professor Xavier and Hank walk in with the same white coats as before, but they were dressed for surgery.

His head drowning in panic as the three men approach their respective tables. He Tries to talk to Xavier, who was gripping the scalpel and aiming it at his chest.

Thrashing his body as violently as he could to make it harder for Xavier to cut him open. He takes a slight glance at the other young woman on the table left of his. He sees Hank McCoy carving into the chest of another of his young teammates, Rogue.

Blood spurts in his direction, lands on his bare left shoulder and he thrashes more violently. He screams as a scalpel rips through his flesh.

In a sweat, his heart racing Wolverine wakes up; rips the covers off and stalks off out of his room. He follows a long hall to a door with a plaque saying 'Kitty & Rogue's Room'. He quietly opens the door and sees the girls sleeping soundly.

The man standing outside in the dark smiles widely and leaves with his plan in mind.

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Hours later Rogue, Kitty and Kurt arrive home from school moping; knowing it's gonna be a crappy weekend.

Rogue goes upstairs with Kitty and Kurt right behind her, she drops her books off in their room. As Kitty and Kurt settle in the as Rogue leaves without them noticing until they ask "So what do you want to do this weekend? Rogue?" Looking confused they shrug it off and go with their conversation.

She walked through the house to the backyard and found a secluded, quiet spot where she wouldn't be bothered for a while. She sat in the shade of an oak tree, took off her jacket, balled it up and used it as a pillow. She knew that if she stood in that house it would get crazy, noisy, chaotic and just plain hell all weekend; so she planned to camp out in the yard for her sanity.

Frantic Storm and Hank began brainstorming on how to keep their students busy for the entire weekend. Both cursed Xavier without cursing at him.

Jean and Scott were upstairs while she packed.

He asked "D'you really have to be with your family this weekend?"

She smiled and told him "I haven't seen them since graduation, Scott. It's almost a year.

The look on her face was serious but playful. He faked a smile and she threw a pillow at him.

"I'll be home late Sunday." She looked at the time on her alarm clock and said "I should be going." Scott stood for his kiss, but she hugged him, then gave him a peck on the cheek. She quickly got downstairs because Wolverine said 4:30 and it was 4:45.

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Scott began to wander through the house, when he finished wandering through the entire house he began to wander the grounds. As he passed the window of the den, he ducked because everyone was playing pictionary and he didn't want to get sucked into the game.

He looked at his watch "Oh, joy. It's 7:30 and all the creatures were stirring playing pictionary in the house." He looks over in the semi-lit yard to see Rogue lying on the grass staring up into the darkening sky.

He walks up to her, plops down on what looks like a comfortable spot of grass.

In the living room, Kitty is up in pictionary and gets cat in the hat. She draws a cat head with its eyes, nose and whiskers wearing a striped top hat. Kurt yells out "Fat cat." Kitty shakes her head no and she points at the cat and grabs the marker and draws an arrow from the cat into the center of the hat.

He still can't get it, then their time runs out and she yells "How can't you get CAT IN THE HAT!"

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Scott and Rogue still lay on the grass in the yard watching the stars poke through the blanket off indigo sky. He asked "Rogue?" She looked over at him as he continued. "Can I ask you something?" She stood quiet but nodded. "Do... No. Have you noticed anything different between me and Jean?"

She let out a small laugh and said "Why the hell are you askin' me?"

He chuckled with her and said "Seriously."

She looked back up at the sky as if she didn't want to look at him when she said "Ah've noticed something."

He rolled onto his side and said "What?"

She sighed and said "It...Well. Ah've noticed that"... She paused for a moment. "Ah've noticed she's been kinda, you know. Pulling away from you."

He rolled onto his back and said "I guess I wasn't the only one noticing that. Even today, when she was leaving we hugged and she gave me a kiss on the cheek. The cheek, can you believe it."

She said sarcastically "Ah cant believe it." She made him smile; then said "What'd ya expect. She still hangs around Duncan Matthews, right?"

He said "Yeah, so?"

Rogue sat up and looked down at him lying on the grass and said "My guess is she really didn't choose between y'all two."

Looking defeated because of her comment, Scott just stared blankly into a sky that was rapidly filling with stars.

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Since the house wasn't locked down for the night; the man from the night before walked trough the gate searching for some of his nights victims. He heard the conversation between Scott and Rogue. Since they were isolated from the lot of the group; they became his first targets.

This man was a very powerful mutant, he is a telepathic and he could make all things form his mind and from others come to life. They weren't literally real but to his victims they were. He would scare people who did or might oppose him to death.

His knowing what he heard of the mutants of Bayville is what he didn't like. He believed like many others that mutants were and are homo-superior and humans were not. He in many ways was like Magneto, but in many ways he wasn't. He called himself Night stalker because he would follow potential victims, search their minds for a worst nightmare, then bring it to life.

He planned to destroy the x-men; scare them to death and have no one opposing him in Bayville. He sat only ten feet away from Rogue and Scott, he closes his eyes and brings their nightmares to life, starting with the one he referred to himself as 'The girl with to much make up.'

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Both lying there in silence as they felt the ground shake. They jumped to their feet and see a blue gray glow come from the bushes before them, they back up as whatever it is moved closer to them.

Rogue's heart pounded heavier when she seen the shape of the man coming towards them. She knew it was him, but how did he get back and why hadn't anyone told her he was back. Seeing him Scott yelled "Apocalypse.

She was frozen, pinned where she stood by his glare. Scott took off his glasses and blasted the powerful mutant at full power, but it didn't phase him.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Knowing that the others would come running to their aid; Night stalker began to work on the rest of the mutants in clusters of four. Group by group they all began to see the ancient mutant standing a foot from Rogue. Since they were all still in their places inside of the house, the nightmares had begun.

Scott couldn't see anyone else anymore. The edge from the fear he felt began to overwhelm him as he looked around and seen he was on the plane that killed his parents and for most of his life he believed it killed his brother. Scott sat by the isle and a present day Alex sat staring out the window at the dark blue almost black ocean water.

Apocalypse with a swing of his right arm knocked Kitty, Storm and Kurt on the ground.

Kitty hit the large oak tree so hard she passed out. She awoke in what seemed to be a Plexiglas. coffin surrounded by dirt. She saw everyone she knew; all of her friends, teachers, acquaintances (like the brotherhood) and her parents standing feet away from where she was under the ground.

She began to bang on the glass and yell until she remembered that she could phase through anything. She got her wits about her and concentrated; she pushed to go through the glass, but she couldn't. She was stuck, she was stuck somewhere she couldn't get out of.

"Storm... Storm." She opened her eyes and seen three of her students; Rogue, Jean and Kitty as little girls. They had hand fulls of wild flowers for her. She accepted the flowers and gave the three little girls a hug.

She looked around and said "I put the vase right here on the counter. Where is it?"

The long haired little girls giggled; their matching outfits and pigtails seemed odd, but she ignored it because they pointed her to a closed door.

Storm opened the door into the closet, she walked a few feet and grabbed the vase off of the shelf as the door shut tightly. She did a sharp 180 to see the door shut. The walls began to move closer to each other. She dropped the vase and ran for the door and tried to force it open.

The walls came to a momentarily halt about a foot away from Storm and slowly came at her once more. The fear and panic washed over her and all she could do is scream for help that would never come.

Apocalypse grabbed Rogue by the throat and Kurt jumps him Trying to get the mutants hands off of his sisters throat.

Apocalypse swats him away like a fly and laughs. The people who are his friends and team begin to laugh at him, including Rogue. She yells "Get the hell outta here you hairy blue freak! You're not doin anything so get lost!"

Wolverine growls and adds "Yeah, you little runt. Scram!"

Pain takes him over as his entire team shuns him. "Get the hell out of here, loser!" "Take a walk, dork!"

It gets to the professor and Kurt is told "Kurt. You should gather your things. None of us want you here anymore."

Wolverine walks up to him and says "Can't wait for em to leave. We all know he won't. We need to make him leave."

Apocalypses grip on Rogue is let go as they all start towards him.

It goes pitch black.

The light in the yard flashed back on as Logan sees nine metal operating tables in front of him. Eight of the tables have his team members on them, restrained and screaming in agony.

He's stuck; strapped to a special table that stood him up so he could see this. The screams grow louder as Scalpels dig into and body parts are being destroyed by these faceless doctors.

They destroyed his life as he watched, like they did to him such a long time ago.

The blood of the innocent kids and his friends began to pool at each doctors feet. They stopped what they were doing and left, treading through the pool of blood that came up to their ankles. The screams grew quiet and he became free.

He ran over to them freeing them one at a time when he heard the monitor alarm go off as Kitty lay dieing. The next to die was Hank, his monitor adding to the noise; then Rogue and Jean's monitors go off at the same time. He was losing them all before he could even help.

Actually sitting at his desk, the professor sat in his office. His classical music played low when he noticed he didn't hear any noise from the living room. So, he went to investigate.

He seen everyone sleeping. Kitty, Storm, Bobby Drake, and Jubilee on the couch. Hank laid on the floor atop the easel and the dry erase board. Logan in the large leather recliner, his beer bottle shattered on the floor.

Charles makes the rounds through the house seeing that everyone was unconscious. Not finding Scott and Rogue in the house he looks around the grounds when he feels a presence that wasn't in the house a few hours ago.


	6. Ch 6 Hush PT 3

**Okay, here goes the last part to this story in my story line. Halleluliah!!!**

**Part 3**

Charles quickly goes back to his office, grabs the phone and dials a number he hadn't dialed in years hoping it still worked.

A voice answered "What?"

Charles says "Put Eric on the phone now, please!"

A more mature voice comes on the other end "Charles?"

Charles responds "Eric, there's someone here at the house."

Eric says in a dull tone "And that means what Charles?"

Xavier responds "He wiped out my team Eric. I... I need your help."

Magneto was quiet for a moment then said "Charles, you're kidding."

Xavier says "He hasn't caught onto me being here. Eric, please." Magneto grunts and hung up the phone.

Magneto with Quicksilver, the Scarlet Witch, Sabertooth, Pyro and the rest of the brotherhood approached the front door of the mansion to hear complete silence.

The front door unlocked, so they quietly strolled in; walking towards the stairs. Sabertooth peeked into the den on the left of the stairs; it was filled with some x-men sprawled on the couches and some on the floor destroying the furniture.

As they traveled to Xavier's office they seen in every room, the young mutants were everywhere, not moving and barely breathing.

In his office Charles sat in the dimly lit room pondering what he could do. The door nob to his office door begins to twist open; alerted to this he grabs a fire poker.

In walks Magneto and his team of mutants that he brought with him. With a sigh of relief Charles puts the poker back into its place by the mantel.

Magneto begins with "What on earth happened?"

Xavier replied "It just got quiet."

A twinge of fear flashed across the faces of the members of the Brotherhood and Acolytes. Xavier adds "I can't account for Scott and Rogue."

Toad asks "You think this guy took em?"

Xavier shrugged; Magneto looked at Sabertooth and he tested the air for the scent of the two missing teens and said "They're not far" in a deep growl.

Avalanche comments "Just use your power on em and it'll be over."

Xavier responded "I don't want to hurt my team in doing so. We need to break his concentration long enough so I can stop him with out hurting anyone."

Magneto gives orders for all of his men to find the intruder and attack him.

The professor leads Magneto to a spot close to the mutant; Magneto nods his head at his team and they do what they do best, make trouble.

Nightstalker was angry that he was being attacked by mutants that seemed to come from no where, begins to work his magic on the close to face Todd the Toad Tolanski. Toad drops to the ground as Avalanche begins to move the ground in nerve rattling tremors.

Wanda the Scarlet Witch casts a spell as Sabertooth and the Blob attack. Pyro blasts his projectile flames towards his target, breaking his concentration as the professor enters his mind.

He scrambles Night stalker's mind as they all watch him fall to the floor, now as a victim of his own ability. Xavier sees Scott and Rogue lying on the grass near lifeless.

Everyone stood and watched as Xavier rushed over to the two of his students in the cold and under the pale blue moonlight.

Wolverine recovered first to see the Brotherhood outside the window in the yard. He ran quickly ready to fight, his claws spread out from his knuckles as he seen them helping the professor.

The not so seriously in danger students were put into bed to sleep it off, but Scott and Rogue were brought downstairs to the infirmary to be monitored.

After everyone awoke, they were confused about how they lost almost an entire day of their lives. As much as the professor, Magneto and Wolverine could understand, they explained.

In the infirmary Hank watched over Rogue and Scott. The professor, Wolverine, Magneto and a few others walked in to see that Scott and Rogue weren't awake yet because, they were literally further gone then anyone else. Their minds were killing them longer then the rest who were in their position.

Nothing that happened to them after he arrived was real, no one moved from their spots that they were in for hours, until they were moved by someone else.

Wolverine sat in between the two beds that his two young teammates were lying on. He looked over at Rogue and looked at her I.V. With its clear liquid being pumped into her veins; then looked over at Scott. He had an identical I.V. And an air tube going up his nose where Rogues was absent.

Logan hears a tiny gasp for air and looks over to see Rogue waking up. Her eyes were glossy, her voice soft. She looked over her right shoulder and smiled. Confused about why she was smiling, Logan turned to see Scott waking, moving around and adjusting his sore body.

A few hours pass and the story is explained to Scott and Rogue; both wore matching navy blue t-shirts and charcoal gray sweatpants with hospital socks.

Making sure they are okay, Xavier scans over them with his eyes, then tells them they could go to their rooms, but only to rest.

The professor thanks Magneto, who quickly responded with "You'd do the same." The Acolytes and Brotherhood leave, but all through the house a scene of peace loomed between the three groups of mutants.

**AN****: I hope you guys liked it. The next story in the storyline is The Sophomore Shuffle. That one concerns Jott and quite a bit of heartbreak.-Jade.**


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